Chapter 7 #4
And that? That cut deeper than anything Hassan could’ve said to him. But Braxton wasn’t leaving. Not yet. He still had one more person he needed to talk to.
"Sevyn?" He called her name, trying to look around Hassan’s towering frame to get to her. Sevyn’s eyes snapped to him, her own jaw tightening as she clenched her clutch .
"Can we talk?" His voice held hesitation, like he already knew the answer but had to try anyway.
Before she could even form a response, Hassan spoke first. "Nah."
One word. Sharp. Flat. Final.
Both Sevyn and Braxton turned toward him. Braxton’s expression flashed with annoyance, like he couldn’t believe Hassan had just dismissed him outright. Sevyn, on the other hand, smirked.
"What?" Braxton snapped, his tone defensive as he looked at Hassan, who still hadn’t moved. Then, slowly, Hassan turned his head back toward Braxton, his eyes darker now.
Sevyn felt it. She didn’t need to look at him to know he was about to snap. She could feel it—like she always could. Her breath hitched.
"Braxton… go. I don’t want to talk to you." Her voice was calm, smooth, but firm. She wasn’t saying it just for herself anymore—she was saying it to save him.
Braxton’s chest tightened. "But we need to—"
He barely got the words out before Hassan moved. He stepped closer, his presence now towering over Braxton, his energy shifting into something lethal. They were mere inches apart now, and the shift knocked the air out of the room.
Braxton stopped mid-sentence.
Sevyn knew what was about to happen. She didn’t think—her body just reacted. She stepped forward, slipping her fingers into Hassan’s hand, lacing them together like it was the most natural thing in the world.
The move was instinctive. A line she probably shouldn’t have crossed. But she didn’t care. Because she needed to keep Hassan from boiling over, from killing a prosecutor—Braxton—in his own damn casino.
Hassan’s grip tightened around hers, his skin warm, firm, like he was using her as an anchor. The little gesture made her heart clench. Braxton noticed instantly. His gaze dropped to their hands intertwined and his jaw clenched so hard, she thought he might shatter a tooth.
"Leave." Hassan’s voice was cold, the command absolute, but Sevyn could feel his body relaxing under her touch. She also didn’t miss the way his own jaw tightened—like it frustrated him that she had this much of an effect on him.
Before anything else could escalate, another voice rang out—loud and angry.
"Oh, hell no!”
Sevyn groaned the second she heard Dorian’s voice, already knowi ng this was about to get even worse.
Dorian charged toward Braxton, her fury radiating off her in waves, with Harper and Roman walking closely behind her.
"What the fuck this nigga doing here?" Dorian snapped, her tone sharp, her eyes narrowing as she turned toward Sevyn like she needed answers immediately. She was so caught up in her anger, she didn’t even notice Sevyn and Hassan’s hands were still intertwined.
But Roman and Harper did.
Their eyes flickered between them, both caught off guard by the sight.
Hassan never let anyone close to him, never let any woman touch him. But his grip on Sevyn's hand was tight, like it was his anchor, like letting go wasn’t even an option, his icy blue gaze still locked onto Braxton.
"I just want to talk to Sev."
Braxton’s voice was firm, but strained, his eyes dropping to Dorian, who was standing right in front of him, ready to pop off at any second.
Then Roman moved.
Sevyn exhaled sharply, this was getting worse by the second. She hated Braxton, but she didn’t want him dying tonight.
Roman stepped right up, towering over the situation, but what happened next was what really made Sevyn and Harper pause.
Roman grabbed Dorian’s waist, effortlessly pulling her behind him, like it was nothing. And Dorian let him. She didn’t fight it. Didn’t snap at him. Didn’t curse him out.
She submitted.
Dorian.
The woman who never backed down. Who never let any man tell her what to do, even when she was in full protective mode.
And yet, one touch from Roman, and she fell back without a single word.
Roman barely spared her a glance before focusing back on Braxton. His expression remained calm, his tone even—but the warning was clear.
"Look, bruh, I don’t know who the fuck you are, but my brother here not about to give you many more chances to leave.
And I really don’t like seeing my woman upset, and you the root of the issue, so I’d advise if you wanna see the next morning, and have a chance to wear that lame-ass suit of yours again, then you should leave. "
Sevyn felt Hassan tense beside her, her fingers still intertwined with his, slightly pulling at him, trying to keep him from stepping forward. But he was too strong. He didn’t budge a muscle.
For a tense second, nobody moved .
Then, finally, Braxton got the hint.
His jaw clenched, but he turned away, his body stiff as he walked off. But before he left, his furious eyes flicked to Sevyn, holding her gaze for a long second, like he was trying to burn his anger into her.
Then, just like that, he was gone.
Sevyn quickly removed her hand from Hassan’s the second Braxton was out of sight, but it was too late. His touch was already burned into her skin, lingering, seeping into her like something permanent.
She could still feel him.
The moment she let go, all eyes turned to her.
"Why was he here, Sevyn?" Dorian’s tone was sharp, edged with anger, but Sevyn knew it wasn’t directed at her.
"I don’t know. He came to talk to Hassan." Her voice was steady, but she could feel the way her heart was still racing.
Hassan didn’t speak. Didn’t move. Didn’t give anything away. He just stood there, still as stone, while all eyes landed on him now.
"Who the fuck was that?" Roman asked, his voice cool, but his posture tense.
Before anyone else could say a word, Hassan’s voice cut through the air, calm, deep, cold as ice.
"Roman. My office."
It wasn’t a request. It wasn’t up for discussion.
And the way he said it—the weight in his tone, the finality of it— sent an unwanted shiver down Sevyn’s spine.
Then, just before turning, he looked at her—a long, unreadable stare, something burning behind his eyes.
Then he walked off, Roman following without hesitation, and just like that—
Hassan was gone.
"Girl, what the hell happened?" Harper asked as Sevyn leaned against the bar, sighing in relief that Braxton hadn’t gotten himself killed. But even as she tried to steady herself, she was still fighting to shake off the effects of Hassan.
"He came to talk to Hassan about something legally. He saw me and wanted to talk, but Hassan wouldn't let him." Her voice was calm, but inside, her heart warmed at the way Hassan had protected her without even knowing the full story.
"What he want with Hassan, legally?" Harper’s concern was evident, her brows pinched. They all knew what Hassan and Roman were into—and anything involving cops, prosecutors, or the law? Never good.
Sevyn shrugged. "Hassan shut him down before he could even explain. "
Harper nodded, but the concern was still etched into her face. Sevyn felt it too. She knew Hassan's business wasn't legal, but something inside her still wanted to protect him.
"I can talk to Braxton," Sevyn said, her tone low but firm. "Since he wants to talk to me so bad. Maybe I can find out what he wants with Hassan."
Both Harper and Dorian grinned, exchanging amused looks before chuckling.
"Not you trying to defend your man." Dorian teased, making Sevyn mug her hard.
"Being the Bonnie to his Clyde," Harper added with a smirk. "What? Hassan is not my man. We don’t even know each other like that," Sevyn shot back, trying to bury the way Hassan had her feeling in that moment. She could still feel the heat of his touch on her hand, even though he was long gone.
"Bitch, please," Harper laughed. "Y’all was holding hands like y’all was a damn power couple."
Sevyn rolled her eyes. "Whatever. It's time for me to talk to Braxton anyway. That conversation is long overdue." She crossed her arms, readying herself.
"Talk to his ass for what, Sev?" Dorian snapped, her protective side coming full force. "You caught that nigga fucking that hoe-ass ex-best friend of yours in your fucking bed, there is nothing to fucking talk about."
Sevyn rolled her eyes. This was when Dorian’s protectiveness started to get annoying.
"Just let it go, Dee. I got this." Her tone was calm, but final. She downed the rest of her wine, dismissing the conversation.
Because truth be told? There was only one man consuming her thoughts right now, and it wasn’t Braxton.
It was Hassan.
The way he had defended her, the way his body had calmed at her touch, the way he looked at her—like he saw something in her no one else did.